warm gingerbread breakfast smoothie

Don’t let the cooler temperatures stop you from enjoying those delicious smoothies! This vegan gingerbread breakfast smoothie is warmed up on the stovetop to create a creamy and comforting drink that’s packed with vitamins, minerals, fibre, and plant based protein. It makes a healthy and delicious breakfast or snack!

How do we feel about molasses?

Love it? Hate it? Can’t figure out what to do with the bottle of it that’s been hanging out in the pantry for the past 1.5 years? The one that you can’t even pry the cap off of because the molasses solidified around the opening and turned into the equivalent of super glue?

Mmm hmm.

Don’t act like you don’t know what I’m talking about. It’s back there peeking out from behind the brown sugar and honey, reminiscing about that one day long ago when it was able to lend its robust flavour to that lone batch of gingerbread cookies you made for your office’s ugly sweater Christmas party; patiently waiting for a chance to get back in your good graces.

Sound familiar? Yup...

I happen to love molasses, but even so, I found myself having to dig it out from the back of my pantry and run it under hot water so that I could get the lid unstuck. Poor, neglected thing. And it’s a shame, too! Because… molasses? That dark sticky goo that inspired the phrase “slow as molasses” and flooded the city of Boston in 1919? It’s actually pretty darn good for us.

Not only does molasses contain minerals like manganese, copper, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and selenium, but it’s also an extremely concentrated source of iron, with just 2 tablespoons containing 30% of our recommended daily allowance. That’s awesome news! Especially for vegans, vegetarians, and us ladies, who need a little extra iron once a month… if you know what I mean ?

It’d be a shame not to take advantage of those kind of health benefits, right?! Which is why I think you should dig your molasses bottle out from the back of your pantry, run the lid under hot water to get it unstuck, and toss a spoonful or two into this warm gingerbread breakfast smoothie…

The cold doesn’t really phase me when it comes to continuing to enjoy colder smoothies, but I will admit that it’s nice to curl up to a nice warm drink when it’s cold and dark outside… especially when that drink tastes like Christmas [and packs an impressive 30% of your RDA for iron].

And while I know that it can feel like a bit of a hassle to toss a smoothie into a saucepan after blending it, I promise you that the extra step is so.very.worth it… not only for the warmth, but for the creaminess.

I don’t know about you guys, but I like my smoothies super thick — almost like a pudding. And the beauty of this recipe is that you can either enjoy it as-is, or add extra milk to reach your preferred consistency. The same goes for the molasses. I usually go for the full 2 tablespoons, but you can stop at 1 if that’s enough for you — I promise that you can just barely taste it at that point, and you’re still getting a nice boost of iron.

So I hope you enjoy! And I hope that you’ll let me know by hitting me up on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or Snapchat (runningspoons), or by leaving a comment down below!

The night before, add all ingredients to the bowl of your blender and give it a stir to ensure that everything is well combined. Cover and place in fridge for at least 3 hours, preferably overnight. This step isn't absolutely necessary, but allowing the oats to soak for a few hours will make them easier to blend and give you a smoother, creamier smoothie.***

When ready to eat, blend on high until oats are fully broken down and a smooth and creamy consistency is reached.

Transfer the smoothie to a small saucepan set over medium heat and bring to a simmer or boil, depending on how hot you want it. If the smoothie is too thick, add an extra splash of almond milk until desired consistency is reached.

When your smoothie reaches your preferred temperature, transfer it to a heat-safe glass, garnish with toppings of choice, and enjoy!

Notes

* I used almond butter because it has a sweet and mild taste, but feel free to use whichever nut/seed butter you prefer.** start with 1 Tbsp. and add more to taste.*** if you have no time to let your oats soak, you can simply skip to step 2 and 3, but then transfer your warm smoothie back to your blender and blend until it becomes creamy.

Agree with Megan on the action shot! I am definitely more than a little into molasses and totally on Baird with the warm smoothie idea for winter! This is something we all can enjoy – if I can round up the ingredients for tomorrow morning

The idea of a warm smoothie had me making a face until I saw that mid-smoothie-pour action shot! I might need to go dig out me (crusted shut) bottle of molasses and try this out later for lunch (because breakfast food is appropriate at all times of the day)!

yoiu know how i feel about molasses! and i swear, we have the same brain. I made a recipe with gingerbread and molasses, but in pudding form. Gah, but yours is way better. LOL! I should just forget it and direct everyone here… swoon!

Mmm gingerbread. I actually don’t know what molasses really tastes like on its own. Gotta go home and try!
Also, I am very intrigued by the idea of warming up a smoothie. I usually don’t care if I’m drinking a cold smoothie during the winter, but something sounds amazing about a creamy, warm smoothie…

I was super excited to try this one! But I didn’t have molasses :S I tried substituting brown sugar…..and it worked. Tasted amazing. But my conversion rate of brown sugar for molasses must have been WAY off. It made me sick to finish it cause of so much sugar LOL. Gonna try again tonight and hopefully I will get the right about of brown sugar in as as substitute. Cause I love this!!